Coach Pederson’s Road to the Pinnacle of Football

The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl champions for the first time in franchise history. After losing starting quarterback Carson Wentz to a season-ending ACL injury in Week 14, the thought of being Super Bowl Champions seemed ludicrous. Eagles went on to reach the pinnacle of football and defeat the fan-favored New England Patriots 41-33 under head coach Doug Pederson.

Going into the Super Bowl both Doug Pederson and the Eagles knew what they had to do. By executing the unexpected and staying ahead of the defense, the Eagles believed they would be set up for success. Pederson demonstrated his aggressive reputation throughout the game having a 63 percent third-down success rate. 538 yards and 1 defensive sack later, Pederson and the Eagles earned Philadelphia’s first championship title.

Pederson has a long history in Philadelphia, having both played and coached for the Eagles. In 1999, Pederson signed a three-year contract as starting quarterback but this time was short-lived, being released in 2000.

Hanging up his cleats, Pederson returned to Philadelphia in 2009 as the offensive quality control coach. He was promoted to quarterbacks coach in February 2011 and began his head coaching career in 2016. In the same year, the Eagles drafted quarterback Carson Wentz with the second overall pick in 2016. Pederson and Wentz finished their first season together 7-9, missing the playoffs. Under his leadership, the Eagles have had their first winning record since the 2014 season, first playoff victory since the 2008 season, first division title and playoff appearance since 2013 and first appearance in the Super Bowl since 2004.

What’s Next

Fresh off their championship upset of the New England Patriots, Pederson and Eagles may think it’s too soon to think about the upcoming season. Going into the off-season gives Carson Wentz time to recover and Doug Pederson a lot to consider. But for now, Pederson and the Eagles will celebrate in confetti for a little while longer.